Chapter 6
Special Heartless
In the castle Saix had a room in which he'd already set up a holding cell for whatever it was Marluxia brought back, unsure of it's powers the only thing he knew would keep it from escaping the bars was the extremely strong electromagnetic current running through it. Suddenly Marluxia's corridor opened within the room and he stepped out with the captive Allune still bound in vines.
"This is a Heartless?" said Saix suspicious of her looks, after all Allune didn't really look much like a Heartless. Marluxia smiled evilly before manoeuvring his vines to place Allune inside the cage Saix had prepared before closing it trapping her.
"Let me go!" snapped Allune going to touch the bars but getting shocked by the current and stepping back a bit.
"It can talk?" asked Saix.
"Yes, and think, and remember apparently. Oh here, I took the liberty of removing this from it," replied Marluxia revealing he'd somehow managed to get hold of Allune's flute.
"My flute!" she cried realising. Allune tried calling it back to her but as soon as it got to the edge of the cage it dropped to the floor unable to pass the bars.
"No…" she gasped unsure what to do without it. Saix went up to the cage and picked up the flute himself. He looked at it curiously and then at Allune who just glared at him hatefully.
"Were you seen?" asked Saix.
"No, I dropped in on it just after Axel left, he was kissing it, can you believe that? Poor fool, it's probably got him thinking he can feel, what an embarrassment," laughed Marluxia evilly.
"He has more heart than any of you!" snapped Allune.
"Impossible, we Nobody's don't have hearts, just as you Heartless only exist to steal hearts from humans, no matter how different you seem, that is all you are," glared Saix.
"If that's so then why would you want one? If you're so contented being a Nobody why look for Kingdom Hearts, why try to get hearts?" replied Allune.
"You're just a mindless Heartless, you could never possibly understand our plan," sneered Marluxia.
"I know you can't do it because you can't collect hearts, maybe you should try being Heartless, then you could do it," she replied arrogantly.
"I see, so that's what Axel's been up to," said Saix a slight glimmer in his eye.
"Come now Saix you don't actually think Axel would have come up with a plan for this creature do you? He's just been trying to cover up his abject failures," replied Marluxia defiantly.
"You're not going to hurt him are you?" worried Allune.
"I'll say, that guy's a useless hunk of nothing, hey Saix let's make him a dusk, what do you say," sneered Marluxia.
"A… dusk?" stammered Allune.
"A lowly class of Nobody similar to your shadows, they're made from people whose hearts weren't quite strong enough to create those like us. Still, whatever created you must have had a very powerful heart indeed, I wonder what their Nobody is like?" pondered Saix.
"Don't hurt him please, Axel was only trying to collect hearts," replied Allune and Saix looked back at her interested.
"Go on Heartless," nodded Saix interested.
Meanwhile in the mission room Axel had made it back to the castle and was still looking for Marluxia.
"Marluxia! Saix!" he yelled arriving back looking around knowing he didn't have much time.
"Axel, what's wrong man?" wondered Demyx seeing him.
"Demyx have you seen Marluxia?" asked Axel hastily.
"No, not all day. Saix said he was on a really important stealth mission," replied Demyx but Axel didn't have time to listen to him and stormed off continuing to look for them.
"He was there the whole time, he saw everything, even…" Axel's thoughts trailed off and he stopped a moment, searching his coat he found the heart shaped diamond Allune had found for him. He looked at it taking a deep breath to try and think clearer, he couldn't just go barging through the castle and then suddenly destroy Marluxia on the spot, no matter how much he wanted to right now.
"Is this what it means to have a heart?" he thought to himself putting the little treasure away and walking a little calmer through the castle. Eventually he came to Saix's control room, he warily entered not sure what he was going to find but he immediately saw Allune kneeling in the cage in the corner.
"Allune," he realised seeing her and coming over.
"Axel no!" she cried out seeing him but it was too late the door shut and locked fast and standing before it was Marluxia barring his way out.
"What's the meaning of this Marluxia!" snapped Axel but then Saix appeared from close to the cage, "Saix?"
"I authorised this collection Axel, there's no need for you to be involved," glared Saix and Axel glared back not backing down.
"What do you want with her?" asked Axel tensely.
"Her? Axel it's a Heartless, not a person, not one of us," chuckled Marluxia.
"She's more than just a Heartless," replied Axel.
"Yes indeed, I know that much already. I also know about the spell connected with this intricate flute," sneered Saix revealing he had her flute.
"The flute," realised Axel looking back to Allune who seemed utterly powerless without it, she wasn't even floating. Axel glared at Marluxia and Saix as he moved closer to the cage to make sure she was ok, he tried to reach for the lock but the current just shocked him too.
"Watch your hands Axel, I must thank Larxene," chuckled Marluxia evilly.
"What do you want with her Saix, let her go, she can't do anything without that flute," replied Axel angrily.
"How disgusting, it's almost like you're protecting that thing," scoffed Marluxia.
"Axel in case it hasn't told you you're under a spell, it's why you've been acting so peculiar lately. Whatever thoughts you may have had about being close to that creature are ones it put there itself. It's just a Heartless and it's been using you that's all, by defending it you are only showing just how controlled you are. Still, that will all end soon enough," replied Saix unemotionally placing the flute on a table near the wall. Axel looked back to Allune for a moment, he knew it wasn't the spell, he was protecting her because he wanted to, not that he understood why he wanted to.
"Don't hurt him please!" Allune cried out, "I've told you what you wanted to know, please. If you let me go I'll disappear forever and never come back, just don't hurt him."
"Allune," said Axel amazed.
"Pitiful creature, look how it pretends to have feelings, it's a tricky one hey Saix?" glared Marluxia and Axel just glared at him harder.
"What did she tell you?" asked Axel seriously.
"Spellbound or not you have come up with quite an interesting hypothesis Axel, use the Heartless to collect hearts and then slice them up once they're ready to feed them to Kingdom Hearts, still you haven't quite gotten over how to send them to Kingdom Hearts yet. No matter, I'm more a machine and computer guy than you anyway," sneered Saix flipping a toggle switch on a console close by, the sound of electricity buzzed in the room and then suddenly Allune began screaming as a bright light flashed from her cage.
"Allune! Stop it Saix, stop it now!" cried Axel realising she was in pain. Saix flipped the switch again and Allune sat huddled in the cage panting in pain.
"What did you do?" he asked checking her.
"Merely testing this new piece of equipment I've been working on, it's a Heart Extractor," replied Saix smiling proudly bringing Axel's attention to the machinery all over the wall by the cage.
"You'll kill her," he told Saix seriously.
"Maybe, maybe not, after all Axel if it is so special surely it will survive such a strong current of electricity and the extraction of the hearts it's collected over it's lifetime? We could then use it as out foremost heart collector, a good replacement for, say you?" sneered Marluxia.
"To be honest it's you or it, and even then, if it dies we can simply search out for it's Nobody, if the heart that created this creature was this strong then surely one of us must be out there somewhere," glared Saix.
"You intend to get rid of me," scoffed Axel cockily.
"You're an embarrassment Axel, allowing yourself to fall victim to this Heartless' power is bad enough, but then hiding it and trying to work with it, Axel it's clear you've hit rock bottom," replied Saix.
"You think I'm useless, that I'm a disgrace to the Organisation. That I'm standing here right now because I'm under some stupid spell cast by a stupid Heartless? Well allow me to prove you wrong," replied Axel seriously, he looked back for one moment and saw Allune was recovering and trying to stand again before moving away from the cage and over to the console with Saix.
"May I?" he sneered and Saix looked at him suspiciously before Axel himself threw the switch.
"Axel! What are you…" screamed Allune getting zapped by the extractor again, then he turned it off and this time Allune was weaker but the current in the bars had shorted out so she was able to hang onto the bars trying to stay alive.
"How do you know if it's working?" asked Axel suddenly and Saix pointed to a small screen over the cage on the wall, it had numbers on it.
"Those are the hearts extracted so far, you think that's all of them?" asked Saix.
"Not by a long shot," sneered Axel throwing the switch again. Allune's screams pierced his outwardly cold shell hard but if his plan was going to work he had to hope she was strong enough to survive a little longer.
"I just thought," he said stopping again, "I can make it so she's guaranteed to survive." Axel picked up the flute and Saix looked at him suspiciously.
"You're not going to do what I think you are, are you?" asked Saix.
"This flute is the key to her power, if she has it, she can't die, keep shocking her like this and she'll fry," he replied.
"If that's the key to its power then if you give it back it'll attack, just finish it off Axel, unless you're just bluffing?" glared Marluxia.
"What do you think Saix? Something odd here? You've seen for yourself she's worthless right now, so powerless a shadow would be a harder fight. Have you ever heard of a Heartless whose very existence seemed to revolve so much around a little flute," tempted Axel knowing Saix could never resist a challenge.
"They all have weaknesses Axel," snapped Marluxia but Saix stopped him.
"You're right, that is interesting," nodded Saix.
"I've seen her use this thing loads of times, she can do anything with it, even call her own Heartless to fight, if anything, this is the real threat," replied Axel.
"I think I see where you're going with this, there's probably more hearts in that flute then it's body," smiled Saix evilly. He went back over to the cage and opened it carefully.
"Saix don't let that thing out!" cried Marluxia. Saix looked down at the pitiful creature that lay slumped on the ground and lifted her easily before throwing her to the side of the room like a ragdoll.
"Give me the flute Axel," glared Saix and Axel glared back keeping an ever watchful eye on Marluxia in case he tried to hurt Allune. The stand off was tense but then Axel finally saw Allune try to move and he threw Saix the flute before dashing to her side to help her.
"Allune, are you ok?" he asked sitting her up.
"Axel, what have you done, my flute…" she stammered before they heard the machine fire up again. Saix laughed evilly seeing the numbers tick round at high speed, there were more hearts in the flute.
"I knew it…" Allune heard Axel say before suddenly there was a terrible shattering sound.
"No!" shrieked Allune realising her beloved flute had exploded with all the energy of the machine. Axel looked back at her and suddenly Allune's body was lined with a silver blue light, then Axel's too.
"Axel what's happening?" worried Allune fearing the worst. The light covered them both in what looked like a shell before suddenly cracking in several places and shattering away. Axel smiled at her and helped her stand with him, he then encased them in a ring of fire, Marluxia and Saix looked on amazed what on earth was he doing.
"Axel, I'm so, warm…" gasped Allune confused.
"You're free, free of that Heartless forever," he told her, "and me too." Allune looked at him confused but then she started to feel stronger again, as if she was healing and a great weight had been lifted from her and she understood.
"Axel…" she said sounding a little choked up. Axel smiled at her glad she was ok before bringing her closer to kiss her, the flames died down and Marluxia and Saix were left even more shocked.
"Saix, it can't be, it isn't possible, is it?" said Marluxia amazed, he thought that, maybe Axel had been the first to do it, if the flute was broken, why still feel the need to kiss the Heartless. Unless, Axel had acquired a heart.
"No it isn't," replied Saix going to explain but then he heard something worse than a small shatter. There were sparks and crashes, the machine was overloading, it couldn't take the energy.
"No my machine!" he cried trying to turn it off.
"Axel, we have to get out of here," said Allune sensing the danger and coming away from him a little.
"Oh no you don't, I won't believe you got a heart before me! You're through Axel!" yelled Marluxia angrily.
"Forget it Marluxia, this room's going to blow!" replied Saix retreating. The machine started blasting circuit boards and debris all over the room but Marluxia didn't care, he wasn't going to let Axel get away with this.
"Come on Allune let's go," he heard Axel say as the two tried to escape the room together.
"Die Axel!" cried Marluxia rushing forward with his scythe. In the confusion of the machine Axel didn't see Marluxia coming, but Allune did.
"Axel!" she cried pushing him out of the way and taking the full brunt of Marluxia's scythe attack right across her chest, she flopped to the floor motionless and Axel finally realised what had happened.
"Allune!" he cried seeing her and seeing Marluxia looking at them evilly.
"Marluxia!" he yelled angrily but Marluxia merely turned and left the room satisfied with his work.
"If you truly have a heart Axel, let's see how it deals with losing the creature you care for so badly," he sneered to himself as he escaped.
"Allune, Allune please get up," he pleaded with her on the ground as the machine continued to melt down. He moved her onto his legs and he could see her injury, Marluxia had sliced right across her emblem, he'd gotten rid of the flute but she was still a Heartless, and their emblems were one of their weakest spots. Finally she opened her eyes and painfully breathed shallowly.
"Axel, are you ok?" she rasped.
"Why did you do that, why did you save me?" he asked her unable to understand her sacrifice, "I'd freed you, why did you throw it all away."
"I couldn't, let him kill you, it's my fault, it would have been better if we'd never met," she replied but Axel shook his head.
"Don't say that, not now not after everything," he replied fearing she'd die in his arms when suddenly the machine exploded behind them. Axel used his flames to shield them from the impact but there seemed to be little he could do this time to save Allune. Then as the dust settled the room began to shine and out of the machine it seemed to be raining hearts.
"So many hearts," said Axel looking around at them all.
"I never knew, I had so many," struggled Allune.
"Allune quickly, catch some, suck a few in, maybe they'll heal you, please don't give up now," he urged her, "quick before they get away." Allune tried to move her arms but she was utterly paralysed by the shock to her body from the injury, she couldn't get to them.
"I can't touch them, they'll disappear," worried Axel. Then suddenly one heart seemed to float over of it's own accord and hang just a few feet above Allune's body. It was like the others but it seemed brighter and it shined with a magical blue light.
"That one, you can touch that one," said Allune seeing it.
"How can you be so sure?" asked Axel.
"Because, it's mine…" she struggled and Axel nodded warily going to touch the fragile looking heart. It didn't disappear in fact the glow grew stronger as he brought it closer to Allune, in a few moments it vanished inside her body and her injury healed as her emblem disappeared.
"What happened?" said Axel seeing her change but get no better.
"You said you freed me, you were right…" said Allune and suddenly her body glowed and changed. Her hair stayed the same but her clothes became a violet boob tube like top and her legs became covered in a delicate violet skirt, silk and thin netting and other free flowing materials, her skin gained some form of natural colouring again and as Axel looked at her face he saw something he'd never known before.
"Allune, your eyes, they're, dripping?" he asked confused.
"I'm crying Axel, I can cry again, this must mean. Oh Axel…" she started making strange noises between her painful rasps, she was sobbing.
"Your heart, it's healed isn't it, you, got your heart back, that means," realised Axel seeming to go a little cold.
"Axel, I love you," gasped Allune quietening at last and as her body stopped glowing so too did she stop moving and the room began to return to normal as well. The hearts disappeared leaving only dust hanging in the air and as he looked around the silent room the oppressive grey of the walls started to make the room seem a terrible, bleak and lonely place to be. No matter how he tried Allune would not move again, even as he kissed her lips nothing, not even the tingling on his skin came back to him.
Then the door opened and Saix came back in, he looked very disappointed in the failure of his machine and seemed to be more interested in checking the damage then even acknowledging Axel and Allune. Finally he did come over and knelt down to inspect her for himself.
"The machine, exploded, hearts rained down from the ceiling, she, got her heart back, but then, she's gone," explained Axel difficultly, Saix looked at him softer than normal and shook his head.
"Hold your ear to her chest," said Saix and Axel looked at him a little bemused before doing as he'd said. He didn't know what he was doing but then he heard a faint drumming, it was slow but constant as it rapped away inside her.
"What is that sound?" asked Axel looking at Saix again.
"Her heart of course, she's alive Axel," he told her and Axel smiled relieved as Saix stood away.
"She never was a Heartless was she?" asked Saix.
"Just being used by one, that insidious flute, she probably became a real Heartless at some point, but she wasn't one long," replied Axel not really engaged in the conversation.
"Then she is back to normal now?" continued Saix.
"I suppose," said Axel looking up to him before standing up with Allune draped in his arms.
"Then you know what you have to do," said Saix coldly and Axel looked away reluctant.
"Axel, no matter what you've been through with that girl you are still a Nobody, Marluxia is a fool you don't have a heart, none of us do. Accept that again and you'll be able to cut her out of you permanently," explained Saix leaving the room. Axel looked back at Allune's face and he could remember all of the happiness and excitement she'd brought him in such a short time, he couldn't forget, no matter what Saix said he promised himself he wouldn't forget the lessons of this, the sensations and thoughts, of course he couldn't call them feelings. A dark corridor opened behind him and he disappeared into it with Allune.